MOBILE, Alabama — When Elvis Presley was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1957, the country went wild — especially teenage girls, for whom he was the definition of a heartthrob.

Chickasaw Civic Theatre’s new summer production, the musical “Bye Bye Birdie,” is loosely based on that event. The show tells the story of hip-thrusting pop star, Conrad Birdie, and Kim McAfee, an Ohio girl chosen to receive Birdie’s “One Last Kiss” on “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Her hometown of Sweet Apple goes into a tizzy, creating humor and lots of opportunity for song and dance.

The show is directed by Mike Box, with musical direction by Daniel Driskell and Melissa Barnes. The choreographer is Jeffrey Williamson.

“We have a large number of young actors involved in theater at CCT, and I wanted to do a production that would showcase their many talents,” Box said.“I think (the audience) will see that ‘Birdie’ does just that.”

Jackson Henson plays Birdie, a bigger-than-life character that makes it difficult to overplay him. But Henson said he thinks he can bring a little something extra to the role. “Instead of singing all of Conrad’s songs in an ‘Elvis’ manner, I’m doing one in a ‘Rat Pack’ style,” he said. “I hope the audience can tell which one.”

Henson has been singing “as long as I can remember,” beginning with solos at church when he was 10. He’s been in plays at CCT and Joe Jefferson Playhouse and has sung in the Mobile Opera chorus. Currently, he plays Paul in “Pigaro’s Diner,” the education outreach arm of Mobile Opera.

“After seeing this show, those who don’t know me will be surprised to learn that I am a very quiet, reserved person,” he noted. “Those who do know me will be surprised to learn that I have hips.”

Brandon Caten is Albert J. Peterson, Birdie’s manager, who’ll do almost anything to make sure his “biggest star” doesn’t fade out while he’s away in the Army.

Caten, too, has had plenty of experience on stage. He began acting and singing when he was 12, doing “several little shows at North Mobile Christian School.” But he had his first role in a “real” show when he played Colin Craven in “The Secret Garden” at CCT in 1999.

In college, he earned a music theater degree at the University of Alabama, then a double major in Vocal Performance and Music Education at the University of South Alabama.

Now in his 20s, Caten said, “My love for the stage has turned to more of a love of teaching about the stage, and most days, I can be found at Sunny Side Theater teaching classes or music-directing different musicals — unless it is a Sunday, where I can be found at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, cantoring and singing in the choir.”

Abry Stopper fills the role of Rose Alvarez, Albert’s secretary and girlfriend of eight years. “Rosie is tired of waiting for Albert to get on with his life. She wants him to go back to college to become an English teacher, and she wants him to move their relationship farther into marriage,” Stopper said of her character. There’s conflict as Albert’s mother tries to tear them apart because of Rosie’s Hispanic heritage, she said.

Stopper has been performing at CCT for the past five years, since she was 15, but has been singing “since I was little,” she said. She performed on stage in high school and for CCT has been in “Children of Eden,” “Carousel,” “Guys and Dolls,” “West Side Story,” “The Secret Garden,” “Funny Girl,” “South Pacific” and “Oliver.”

“This is my last show at CCT for a while, because I’m transferring from South Alabama and will be attending the University of Alabama in the fall,” she said.

View full sizeThe McAfee household is in a tizzy with the news that Conrad Birdie is coming to town. From left are Holden Carrell, Diane Swearingen, Dr. Steve Alsip and Kristina Swearingen. (Jo Anne McKnight/Press-Register Correspondent)

Dr. Steve Alsip plays the part of Harry McAfee, Kim’s father. Alsip has been performing onstage for 15 years, beginning in Camelot at CCT, and appearing on all area stages since: JJP, Mobile Theatre Guild, the Saenger Theatre, in a recent benefit at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School and “even a couple turns with the Mobile Ballet on the Mobile Theater stage,” he said.

Most recently, he noted, he was Bob Cratchit at JJP for Southern Alabama Family Theater’s "Scrooge," sang as one of the Three Tenors in an invited performance at the Ascension Health 10th anniversary meeting in St. Louis, played Rooster in CCT’s "Annie," directed "Grease" at McGill-Toolen, was George Eichelberger in "Promises, Promises" at JJP, and designed the set and performed as Caldwell B. Caldwell in a CCT summer production of "Urinetown," directed by his son, Tommy.

“I have certainly enjoyed all my theater experiences, but can ‘play’ less than I would like due to a busy work schedule as an area physician,” Alsip said. “My patients and co-workers are often surprised to hear of or stumble upon my stage appearances.”